The new Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Library, a walking tour of Disney California Adventure, and breakfast at Disneyland are just some of the interesting discussions we have for you this week. Is there a FastPass problem at Walt Disney World? Have you seen the new Toy Story Mania ride at Tokyo Disney Seas? What do you think about the new dueling Dumbo interactive waiting area and queue at the Magic Kingdom? It’s all here for you in today’s Disney News Round Up, along with two new videos from the MiceTube and a chance to win 2 free tickets to D23′s upcoming Destination D event in Anaheim.

Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives at the Ronald Reagan Library
Disney has opened a new, improved and expanded version of their Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library in Simi Vally, Ca. The exhibit is scheduled to run through April of 2013. We reached out to Steven Clark, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Head of D23 (and who has overseen the Disney Archives since 2006), to ask a few questions about the new exhibit and sent our reporter, Scarlett Stahl, to take some photos to share with you.

MiceChat’s Cory Disbrow, along with the Disney Photography Blog is offering a new photo eBook with 100% of the money going to charity. Our friend Katie Marino is running the Falmouth Road Race in Massachusetts on August 12th to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. So we wanted to do what would could to help this great cause!

We are asking for donations (of any amount) and as a thank you, we will be giving away a brand new eBook that includes almost 100 photos from this years Star Wars Weekends event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Every penny we get will be donated to Dana-Farber!

We really appreciate your support and hope you can help out a great cause!!

MiceChat has 2 tickets to give away for the upcoming Destination D: 75 Years of Disney Animated Features at the Disneyland Resort (a $450 value). It’s easy to enter and you do NOT need to be a D23 Member to enter, win or attend the event.

Lot’s of interesting things from the Disneyland Resort this week. We share a tour of the New DCA, we also take a look at the new exhibit in The Disney Gallery, and then its time to conquer Disneyland’s oldest mountain! ~ Aladdin

sleepybear is reminded of one truely unique attraction, that could only be found in Disneyland, and for only a few short years. America Sings celebrated the music through the years, of the good ol’ U. S. of A., in audio animatronic action! Did the attraction really have to go?

With the Matterhorn open again, you may notice some people climbing the Matterhorn. Don’t worry, it’s not Spiderman. Find out more here, and find out what their view is like!

MiceChat has partnered with Mouseaddict, the interactive iPhone and iPad guide to the Disneyland Resort! With just a tap in this beautifully designed app, you can read the very latest MiceChat blogs, check your private messages, find showtimes up to a week in advance, view menus and make dining reservations, see current wait times and crowd levels, see the park as it was in 1955, create reminders for shows, dining and FastPass… and too many more features to list here.

Here’s the best news: Mouseaddict is free and available right now in the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Visit http://mouseaddict.com to learn more and download the app for free.

MiceChat Fall CruiseSeptember 10th through 16th (Vancouver to Los Angeles aboard the Disney Magic) including an epic event at the Walt Disney Family Museum AND a Napa and Sonoma winery tour (with a Disney twist of course). We are nearly sold out and have just 6 discounted cabins still available. Contact us today!

The Wine Country Disney TourA leisurely all day tour through Wine Country with stops along the way that include the Pollyanna House, The Lasetter Family Winery, and DIane Disney Miller’s Silverado Winery.

Communicore Weekly Epcot 30th Anniversary eventJoin us on the evening of Saturday, September 29th 2012 in the Norway Pavilion Special Events Lounge in EPCOT’s World Showcase for this one of a kind event celebrating EPCOT’s 30th Anniversary in style. A live taping of MiceChat’s Communicore Weekly! Co-hosts Jeff Heimbuch & George Taylor, along with MiceChat’s Dusty Sage, Kevin Yee, and the Communicore Weekly Orchestra, in a fun-filled night of fandom and frivolity as they tape a special hour long episode of the hit show, Communicore Weekly.

Your ticket will include special guest, Ron Schneider, the original Dreamfinder,Decadent dessert reception, Short scavenger hunt hosted by Kevin Yee before the show will be available to those who would like to participate, Prizes, giveaways and more, The chance to be a part of EPCOT and Communicore Weekly history, Endless Five Legged Goats and perhaps even a real life Bathroom Break, Exclusive late night ride after park closing on a selected EPCOT attraction to cap off the evening! Admission into the park is NOT included. Learn more about the event and buy your tickets here.

Has the Fastpass system been pushed too far?ORD84 had a pretty bad experience on an average evening while waiting two and a half hours to ride Space Mountain. Was it because of FastPass? Is that system being pushed way too far?

What order do you go to the parks?What is your park hopping habit? Do you hit Magic Kingdom first or do you go nuts and stop by Animal Kingdom the second you arrive on property? We want to know.

California Grill Rehab…
California Grill, atop the Contemporary hotel, is going to be completely refurbished. Does it need it? Or will you miss the restaurant the way it was?

Disneyland vs. disneyworld: DifferencesNew member garcianegro is visiting both Walt Disney World and Disneyland and wants to know what the biggest differences are. Aside from the size, what are things he should be looking for?

Brand new Communicore Weekly!

This week on Communicore Weekly….

TRIP REPORT! – Jeff and George talk to Teresa of Fairy Godmother Travel about her trip to the Cars Land Grand Opening!

GEORGE’S BOOK OF THE WEEK! – George looks Walt Disney World The First Decade for his book this week!

LIVE BROADCAST AT RALPH BRENNAN’S JAZZ KITCHEN
As the official venue of choice for MAGIC 24.7, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney Anaheim will be hosting a live broadcast from the Ralph Brennan Radio Booth in the Jazz Kitchen on August 11, 2012 (exact time of broadcast TBA).We’ll be doing a live cooking demo, featuring our station’s own signature drink (Twisted Magic), doing live contests and bringing on special Disney Park guests.

We hope you can join us! For the full itinerary, check out our special event website: magic247live.com!

PODCAST UPDATE
Every Monday to Friday between 6-9 am Pacific, we give you your MiceChat.com Newscast. Coming soon, you’ll be able to get a full recap of news from your favorite site.

MiceChat’s KNOTT’S SCARY FARM 40th Anniversary HALLOWEEN HAUNT SPOOCTACULAR 9.22.12This year MiceChat is planning an incredible trip to Knott’s Berry Farm’s Halloween Haunt. As fishbulb puts it, ‘This will be the biggest and best MiceChat Halloween Haunt event EVER. Seriously. We’ll be pulling out all the stops this year.’ Come check out this thread if you are interested in having a spook-tastic time and see what will be in store for all of those who plan to attend.

California Adventure’s finishing touches, Flag retreat, Happy Camper, Fantasy Faire construction +MORE
Summer crowds continue to hit the parks at the Disneyland Resort following the busy Fourth of Julyholiday. Still, Disney California Adventure continues to get finishing touches throughout the park as the masses queue up at Radiator Springs Racers and visit the new shops along Buena Vista Street. Meanwhile, California Adventure now plays host to its own flag retreat ceremony — a new addition for the park with the debut of its new Buena Vista Street area. In Grizzly Peak, a “Happy Camper” plays popular campfire songs for guests on a hammered dulcimer, lending a unique sound to the National Park-themed area. In Disneyland, construction continues on the upcoming Fantasy Faire princess meet-and-greet area.The Disney Gallery opened a new exhibit Saturday with a focus on the company’s most recognizable park icons: castles. The new show takes a look at concept art of the various Castles that welcome guests to Magic Kingdom parks around the world and features new art for sale by Disney-commissioned artists. Meanwhile, construction continues next to Disneyland’s own Sleeping Beauty Castle, as the new Fantasy Faire princess-meet-and-greet area continues to take shape. Over at California Adventure, crowds continue to come but may seem more manageable as more and more Annual Passholders are blocked out as we enter peak summer season. Outside the parks, Downtown Disney is celebrating California Avocado Week, offering cooking demonstrations, activities and special menu items at participating restaurants.

From Tomorrowland To The Parking Lot!Today’s interview is Brandon, who had a pretty varied experience in the College Program. Going from a Quick Service Restaurant to the Parking Lot sure makes for an interesting change!

Eyes and Ears Odds and Ends at Walt Disney World in the 1970s
We spend a lot of time scouring old Eyes and Ears, the Walt Disney World Cast Member newsletter, for minutia like shop and attraction openings. Sometimes, you find something that you had been trying to find for years and other times, you can’t believe your eyes.

Disneyland Resort Settling Into A New NormalCrowd patterns at the Disneyland Resort are finally leveling out. That sucking sound we heard at the opening of DCA11 years ago has stopped, and the distribution of crowds is leveling out across the entire resort.

Lex Luthor Drop of Doom Opens at Magic MountainLex Luthor: Drop of Doom has finally opened to the public at Six Flags magic Mountain in Valencia, Ca (just north of Los Angeles). A ride that has been on the drawing board ever since 1997, Drop of doom is the world’s tallest drop tower ride. We take you to the opening and along for a ride on this frightening new attraction.

Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars Preview at Hong Kong Disneyland
We bring you a look at the big new attraction in the land, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. We have some early photos from Alain Littaye of the Disney And More blog which seem to indicate that the new land has extensive theming and is quite immersive. The Mine Cars ride features animatronic bears and looks like it qualifies as a solid “E” ticket designation.

The Disneyland Encyclopedia Updated Second EditionWerner reviews the latest edition of the book, The Disneyland Encyclopedia. As in 2008, the new book’s subtitle promises a history of “every land, attraction, restaurant, shop, and event in the original Magic Kingdom.“ And, once again, Strodder seeks to deliver on that claim by offering more than 500 alphabetical encyclopedia entries cross-referenced to maps of each land.

I think it safe to say, all the excitement this summer is happening at Disney California Adventure.

Algernon

Nice Communicore video. The Cars Land neon looks great, and I can’t tell Radiator Springs isn’t the real desert. Las Vegas should get a clue. Here they are de-theming and abandoning neon, and they are sinking, while DCA is packed.

Sarah’s usual energy-packed video had a lot of interesting information. I’m not surprised there are less people are going to Disneyland, as it’s pretty much not Disneyland anymore after all the bogus changes they’ve made over the years-Nemo Submarines, Carnation Plaza gone, carnival railings, redone Matterhorn rockwork—have you got a couple of hours? Maybe that was the plan, to cheapen Disneyland so everybody would go to DCA. They have succeeded, in my opinion. I won’t be back until the carnival railings are gone and the price goes down. Or maybe never…

DCA? Maybe…

I’m looking forward to watching the DCA full walk-through video this evening.